2000 Honda Odyssey Repair Question
Mileage: 19,200 miles.
I need to find out where oil is leaking from.
Asked by katsromanAnswer
Go down to a parts store and buy a $10 leak detecting kit. It consists of a dye and a black light. Use the dye and run the engine for about 10 minutes. Then start looking for where the dye shows up with the black light.
And yes, a timing belt being oil soaked is a bad thing and could happen.
Thank you for your quick response. The shop who did the previous repairs said they used the dye with the black light. Is there some reason they wouldn't be able to tell where it's leaking from? Is it that difficult to see if it's from the rear main seal?
A leak from the rear main can be misidentified as a leaking head or valve cover gasket. It can't be directly seen.
I really don't know what to do. I don't have the money to replace the timing belt ($500) and then if it turns out to be the rear main to pay another $600 for that! A friend gave me a bottle of something that he said I can pour in the van with the oil and it will stop the rear main from leaking. Is that a good idea to use or not?
Depends what it is and how bad the leak is. The timing belt is something you can do on your own and save a significant amount of money. I'd look at it to see if it really is oil soaked. You can buy a one month subscription to the same reference guides we use for less than $15.
http://www.2carpros.com/articles/mitchell1eautorepair-car-repair-manuals
Not that women can't do things like that, but I know nothing about cars so I'll have to leave that to the experts. :) But one last question, the o-rings and things they changed already, are those located on the front or rear of the engine?
It sounds like multiple O-rings were replaced, so I'd sat both.